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© 2008-2009, Brice Burrell

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The Festool MFS Multi-Routing

Template System

A User's Guide by Brice Burrell

Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2

Connecting the MFS profiles. ................................................................................................................... 10

Template Routing with the MFS System .................................................................................................. 17

Inlays .......................................................................................................................................................... 27

Jack Miters, Stair Stringers, and Circle Cutting ....................................................................................... 41

Cutting Applications .................................................................................................................................. 58

Using the MFS As A Clamping Aid ............................................................................................................ 71

Miscellaneous Uses For the MFS ............................................................................................................. 74

Closing Thoughts ....................................................................................................................................... 78

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Summary of Contents for MFS

Page 1: ...uide by Brice Burrell Contents Introduction 2 Connecting the MFS profiles 10 Template Routing with the MFS System 17 Inlays 27 Jack Miters Stair Stringers and Circle Cutting 41 Cutting Applications 58 Using the MFS As A Clamping Aid 71 Miscellaneous Uses For the MFS 74 Closing Thoughts 78 ...

Page 2: ... accessory don t think of it as a Routing Template Envision profiles that form templates squares fences stops story sticks and jigs of every kind a Multi Function Profile system The first thing I d like to do is credit Jerry Work Ned Young and John Lucas for the work that they have already done to help us get the most out of the MFS and the Festool system Some of the methods techniques and ideas y...

Page 3: ... will help you understand the functions and methods later on in this review In this photo you see what is included with the MFS 400 set two 400 mm and two 200 mm profiles two angle stops anti tilting insert circle cutting insert and pivot 3 mm ball head Allen driver connecting hardware and an instruction manual The MFS 700 set not pictured above includes all of the same components except its profi...

Page 4: ... 80 mm wide and 16 mm thick with a series of Joiner or V slots and Clamp slots The Joiner or V slots are for the connecting hardware circle cutting insert and pivot and the coupling hardware not included with the sets for joining profiles length wise I ll go into detail on how to join the profiles in its own section in this review ...

Page 5: ...in the clamp slots as do the guide rail connectors The guide connectors can also be used to join the profiles in length Also 1 4 square and hex nuts fit the slots if you want to add a fixture to the profiles or mount them to jig or table with your own imperial or inch style hardware ...

Page 6: ...age 6 The 3 mm ball head driver is used on almost all of the MFS hardware The ball head allows the driver to be used on an angle as shown in this photo The angle stops mount into the V slots and are used to help position the MFS ...

Page 7: ...for an inlay This is the anti tilting insert It is used to prevent the router from tipping or tilting during routing operations If the router is tilted the work piece can be ruined Copying rings fit into the anti tilting insert this allows it to travel with the router The insert can fit 24 27 30 and 40 mm copying rings ...

Page 8: ...rice Burrell Page 8 Here you can see the insert in place under the router The insert is only needed when the profiles are spread too far apart for the router s base to be fully supported by the profiles themselves ...

Page 9: ...this review Longer profiles are available 1000 mm profiles and 2000 mm profiles to extend the MFS template system You can use the Routing Slide with the MFS to support the router when routing out large areas for example open field inlays Also offered as spare parts are a set of 4 MFS Joiners part 493235 that fit into the V slots to connect profiles length wise You ll need to call Festool s service...

Page 10: ...g to you show how to connect the profiles into rectangles and end to end The MFS profiles have male and female ends as shown here The male ends have two small studs or indexing pins to align the profiles Also the male ends have the connecting hardware notice the V nut with a ball detent ...

Page 11: ...connector or the MFS joiner can be used to secure the connection Guide rail connectors fitted into the clamp slot are used in the photo above The V nut on the male end of the profile fits into the V slot in the edge of another profile The male s indexing pins also fit into the edge V slots to ensure perfect alignment ...

Page 12: ...ice Burrell Page 12 This shot is a close up of two profiles connected To make a rectangle connect two profiles a short and long one to form a L with the scales on the inside Use the Allen driver to secure the joint ...

Page 13: ...u can see from this picture that the scales are on the inside of the L The scales are an important feature of the MFS They allow the template to be quickly set to size Once you have two L shapes formed connect the two to make a rectangle ...

Page 14: ...kind of tough but after doing it a few times you get the feel for it I ve sprayed my profiles including the hardware with a dry lubricant This helps reduce some of the friction while adjusting them As another added benefit it lets tools slide on them easily By combining sets and or the longer profiles different shapes can be made This will greatly increase the usefulness of the system ...

Page 15: ... the threaded insert can be taken out The insert has an Allen recess the insert is reverse threaded turn clockwise to remove use a 4 mm Allen key The insert can then be screwed into another profile turning counter clockwise anti clockwise and it will self tap into the aluminum I recommend exercising great care removing and installing the connecting hardware it would not be hard to strip the alumin...

Page 16: ...already mentioned sometimes you wish you had another set of hands to line up all of the hardware The key is to be patient when connecting and adjusting the MFS profiles Taking the time to perfectly set the template will show in the end results you achieve with this system Moving on to using the MFS system it s hard to know what to cover first I think most people imagine the MFS being used as a rou...

Page 17: ...les to guide a router s travel The router must have a copying ring guide bushing or a bit with a bearing to prevent the bit from cutting into the template as it travels When using a bit with a bearing like a flush cut or pattern bit the profiles can be set to the exact size needed whether it is a cutout or mortise This really simplifies the setup However using a pattern bit is not without its risk...

Page 18: ...t of wood or MDF While they do work it is usually only a short time before they become inaccurate from relatively light use If you have ever used a wooden jig you know what I mean I ve had to add very thin shims to my hinge templates to finish jobs not wanting to make a new jig to rout one or two more hinges That drove me nuts Now I use the MFS it is so much faster easier and far more accurate tha...

Page 19: ...to mark the setback for the hinge I ll use this line to index the MFS With the small pattern bit I use to rout my hinges I can set the MFS to the exact length of the hinge The width is set wide enough so I can test fit the hinge without removing the MFS ...

Page 20: ...the angle stops and clamp the work piece MFS down Here is a close look at the bit I ll be using It is the same type that I showed earlier you can see I ve add a second bearing to solve the problem of the bearing falling into the V slot It is a 1 2 diameter this will match the 1 4 radius on the hinges ...

Page 21: ...tops and the depth rod to set the exact depth It s time to rout with the profiles set to be wider than the hinge this leaves an open space for me to fully plunge the bit before contacting the work piece I make systematic passes removing small amounts per pass Again with the MFS wider than the hinge I can test fit the hinge without removing the template When I m happy with the fit I remove the MFS ...

Page 22: ... of using copying rings is twofold they are always in place while routing greatly reducing the chance of cutting into the profile and they work with most bits used for template routing regardless of the bit s cutting length Unlike bearing guided bits where the cutter s length is so important Of course you do have to account for the offset between the bit and the copying ring when setting the MFS t...

Page 23: ...l be used with a 30 mm copying ring in the router We need to account for the space between the bit and to the outside edge of the copying ring called offset when we set the MFS profiles to size The offset for this bit copying ring combination is 10 mm Knowing the offset is 10 mm we add that number twice 20 mm to the width and length of the mortise 40 mm x 120 mm is what the MFS should be set at to...

Page 24: ... makes setting the MFS to size pretty easy However I understand that most of you are much more comfortable working in imperial inches So let s do another mortise with imperial measurements but this time I ll be cutting real wood How about a mortise 3 4 wide 3 long and 1 2 deep In the router is a 1 2 straight bit with a 3 4 bushing So the total offset I need to account for is 1 4 ...

Page 25: ...eel rule With the offset added the dimensions are 1 X 3 1 4 With the MFS set to size I place the template on the work piece I ve drawn lines to indicate were the MFS will be set and the mortise will be cut Once everything has been set MFS and the bit depth and then clamped I start the routing ...

Page 26: ...a few passes The finished mortise The angle stops make it a breeze to set the MFS up quickly when you need to rout the same location size mortises on multiple work pieces Just imagine the ease of routing traditional M T joints for table and chair legs or mission style furniture ...

Page 27: ...ts The inlay I am going to do now is simple and small but it is going to have a huge impact on the piece We start the same way as the rest of the examples by selecting the bit copying ring combo and setting the MFS to size In the picture here I m adding some scrap stock to act as shims to help support the MFS ...

Page 28: ... depth of the bit and rout I need to be a little careful because I m routing off each edge and tear out can happen here Removing small amounts near the edges will greatly reduce the chance of tear out Here are the pieces I ll be using for the inlay zebra wood ...

Page 29: ...y some blue tape will help hold the pieces in alignment until I can glue and clamp them In the photo above the excess zebra wood has been cut off and the piece sanded Using the MFS to rout this inlay was not much effort but added a lot of visual appeal to this piece ...

Page 30: ... familiar with inlay sets available today The sets have a bit and a guide bushing with a second bushing with a larger diameter that slips onto the first With this type you follow the template to rout the female recess with both the guide bushing and second bushing installed on the router Then rout out the male insert with the larger second bushing removed using the same template I ll illustrate th...

Page 31: ...he bit With the 20 mm ring and 10 mm bit combo used for the male portion the offset between the edge of the bit and the copying ring is 5 mm When we add the 5mm offset and the 10 mm bit diameter we get 15 mm equal to the offset of the female bit ring combo The goal is to have the offset of the female s combination of bit ring be equal to the offset plus the diameter of the bit used for the male po...

Page 32: ...gle inside the MFS represents the where the inlay will be With the 40 mm copying ring and the 10 mm bit in the router we can rout out the female recess 5 mm deep The red arrow shows the path of the router making systematic passes to remove all of the material to form the recess ...

Page 33: ... turn our attention to the male cut out The male inlay stock is 5 mm thick to match the female s recess It is a good idea to place the stock on top of a sacrificial piece of scrap to prevent cutting into the work table Also the area that will be the cut out is adhered to the scrap with double sided tape to keep it from being damaged by the bit when it is cut free ...

Page 34: ...aving the 10 mm bit in To cut out the inlay the router s depth is set to cut all the way through the 5 mm stock In this picture the red arrow indicates the router s path only traveling around the template s perimeter Here is the piece cut free Unlike the female piece the male has square corners ...

Page 35: ... the ring bit combinations shown earlier that Festool doesn t offer a 20 mm copying ring I used that ring bit combo hypothetical example because it is easy to understand the relationships between the offsets How about if I show you examples with rings and bits Festool does offer as well as some imperial combos The first bit ring combination on the left in the drawing is the 10 mm bit and 40 mm rin...

Page 36: ...o this piece of MDF to act as a makeshift router table I can set between two saw horses on the job site This is the plate I ll be recessing into the MDF Fitting the plate is a two step process making a cutout for the router to pass through and a recessed lip or rebate for the plate to sit on First thing is to measure the plate and the radius of its corners to set the MFS on and to choose the right...

Page 37: ...to make the cutout first the router has a 1 4 spiral bit with a 1 1 2 bushing The bit is set to cut all of the way through the MDF so I placed a scrap under the work piece to protect my MFT s top I ll guide the router slowly around the template ...

Page 38: ...e switched to my OF1400 router to make the lip for the plate I ve already put an 18 mm bit and a 30 mm copying ring in the router I set the MFS for the 7 mm offset The 18 mm bit should fit the radius on the corners of the plate perfectly ...

Page 39: ...re shows the lip routed in now I ll test fit the plate It looks like I ve got the fit right on the first try There isn t much of a learning curve to setting up the MFS It didn t take me long before I got perfect results the first time every time ...

Page 40: ... 2008 2009 Brice Burrell Page 40 The process from start to finish was only about 15 minutes and that was while shooting the pictures too ...

Page 41: ...o adapt it for carpentry use I was pretty sure I was going to use it to rout hinges but what else The first carpentry job for the MFS to tackle was the jack miter a joint used when trim or molding needs to butt together and still have part or all of the profiles continue around This joint requires careful and precise setup a job perfect for the MFS The pictures here show the process measure the of...

Page 42: ... 2008 2009 Brice Burrell Page 42 The finished joint With some creative thinking the MFS made this tough routing job easy Check out the story over at my How To page Jack miter page ...

Page 43: ...ere having both the MFS 400 and 700 sets really paid off Two sets allowed me to make the L shaped template I needed to rout in the treads and risers for this job You may never need to rout stringers but it is nice to know you can More details can be found in my Projects page Small Staircase ...

Page 44: ...eate circles curves and arcs I ll start with a quick overview of the process for circle cutting before I go into detail The circle cutting insert fits into the interior V grooves of the profiles the template is closed on and capturing the insert see photo above A 30 mm copying ring fits into the insert so the next thing to do is install the ring in the router ...

Page 45: ...s in the underside of the profiles in the V groove closest to the inside of the template Slide the pivot in as far as it will go then tighten it with the Allen driver We need a hole for the pivot to go into An 8 mm or 5 16 drill bit will do the job ...

Page 46: ...ou can see from the picture that I m working out the process on scrap first before committing to the real work piece I initially thought using the MFS to cut circles would be a little awkward turns out I was wrong However setting the size of the MFS to cut circles for the first time was a bit of a challenge for me Well until I realized the instructions show the insert installed incorrectly I have ...

Page 47: ...rell Page 47 I m going to start by showing the finished piece for this example so you can see what I am setting up to rout a cutout with a lip or rebate Step one is to lay out for the pivot point then drill the pilot hole ...

Page 48: ...the insert s own scale The insert s scale is not centered on the hole for the copying ring see picture above at first that doesn t seem make much sense But remember the pivot is offset from the profile s scale this accounts for the insert s offset scale say that three times fast Now take into account the bit its cutting edges are offset from the zero point on the insert I know a lot of offsets her...

Page 49: ... graduations above zero towards the top of this drawing represent the outside of the cutting radius also referred to as R2 in this drawing And the gradations below zero are the inside radius or R1 In this example a 10 mm bit is used the outside radius is plus 5 mm from zero and the inside radius is minus 5 mm This drawing shows how to set the insert with the MFS scale With the 10 mm bit the insert...

Page 50: ... cut a 100 mm outside radius 90 mm inside My MFT has a piece of scrap on it to protect the top and the work piece has double sided tape to hold it down to the scrap I ve dropped the pivot in the pilot hole set the depth of the bit to 8 mm Plunge the router and start turning the template on the pivot to rout the circle ...

Page 51: ...e is the result Now I want the center cut out leaving the lip I ve changed bits a 6 mm spiral bit now in the router I ll move the insert to cut a 90 mm outside radius for the 6 mm bit The depth is set to cut all the way through the stock ...

Page 52: ... 2008 2009 Brice Burrell Page 52 Remove the center cutout from the double sided tape and that takes us back to the finished piece the first picture at the top of page 47 ...

Page 53: ...mum diameter of around 32 and the MFS 700 around 55 For template routing the 400 set s maximum size is about 4 11 16 x 12 9 16 the 700 set 12 9 16 x 24 7 16 Combining sets and or the longer profiles greatly increases these sizes and the usefulness of the MFS system as a whole ...

Page 54: ... your work before removing the template anytime you can It is difficult is get the template back exactly where it was to rout a missed spot Another tip test your bit and copying ring combinations on scrap stock first to ensure the results are what you expect Remember the MFS is as accurate as you set it up to be so give it the time it requires Calipers help me set the MFS for smaller work where th...

Page 55: ... do the job Holding the router flat on the template is the key If the router tilts it can ruin your work piece so exercise care One more very important thing to mention let the router bit come to a stop or release the plunge mechanism before lifting the router out of the template If the bit contacts the template you could damage the bit and most certainly cut into the profile If the profile is cut...

Page 56: ...e What I ve shown in this section are just some of the routing jobs that can done with the MFS template With a little practice and imagination you ll be able to do projects that you thought were beyond your skill level If you are a novice woodworker the MFS can have you creating more complicated projects in no time Once you have a grasp of the basics it s pretty easy to build on those skills Becau...

Page 57: ...bling the template each time you want to use it I happen to feel the flexibility the MFS offers outweighs the small amount of time spent on set up Accuracy of the MFS is far better than almost any wooden jig I ve ever made My final comments on the MFS as a routing template no matter if you are a beginner or a pro the MFS is fast and easy to set up the routing is accurate and the results are great ...

Page 58: ...aken Jerry s techniques and adapted them to my own work Using an MFS profile as a story stick is an easy way to accurately place Festool s guide rails I use one of the angle stops with a profile to set razor blades to act as stops for the rail John Lucas idea Install the angle stop in the profile with the scale up Using the scale I set the square on the measurement I want Then butt the stop up to ...

Page 59: ...59 With the profile lined up with the edge of the work piece and the stop butted to the end I have a perfect story stick to help place the rail Now it s as simple as sticking a razor blade in the work piece at the end of the profile ...

Page 60: ...he guide rail off the blades will give me the exact location I want to cut this piece to Be sure to remove the razor blades before you make the cut Use this technique any time you need to make multiple cuts the same size It works just as well with short or long rails ...

Page 61: ...nd to be the easiest fastest safest and most accurate In this picture you see the setup I use Note the wooden fence extension green arrow This prevents the rip from being thrown forward if it gets caught in the blade For the rest of the setup the MFS is butted up to the MFT s fence acting as stop to set the width of the rip The stock is then placed against the fence and the MFS clamped and ripped ...

Page 62: ... Step one in the setup is to assemble the profiles with the scales on the outside and checking to make sure the setup is square Now I slide it under the guide rail and set the edge to be even with the rubber splinter guard on the rail ...

Page 63: ... using the scale on the MFS to set the width of the rip With the MFS lined up with the rail make a pencil mark at the profile s zero point end of the profile With this mark I ll be able to use the scale in reverse to set the width of the rip In this picture you see the MFS set to make a 10 mm rip ...

Page 64: ...2009 Brice Burrell Page 64 The MFS has to be clamped in place to prevent it from moving during the cut I also clamp the stock to be extra safe Then it s like any other cut drop the rail plunge the saw and cut ...

Page 65: ...0 mm rips When I want to make imperial inch widths I use a small combination square I set it to the size I need and then place it against the rubber edge with the blade of the square under the rail Butt the MFS to the square s blade and clamp the MFS ...

Page 66: ...a fence The scales on the profiles are used to set the distance from the square rectangle to the guide rail s rubber splinter guard I am intrigued by this setup although I have yet to fully incorporate it into my work so far I find myself using the profiles for other jobs and unable to dedicate them to the MFT I think the addition of the longer 1000 mm profiles would allow me to take full advantag...

Page 67: ...ke a square scales facing out and two profiles joined lengthwise to act as the fence To hold the two profiles that will be the fence two clamps are placed in from the bottom the MFT Then the profiles slide onto the clamps The clamps are not tightened yet That gives me what you see in the first picture on this page ...

Page 68: ...ith the guide rail then the square gets clamped down I want to calibrate the scale on the fence profiles with the square s scale However I m going to offset them by 10 mm Holding the fence profiles tight to the square I want to line up the 39 cm mark with the fence s zero mark at the end of the profile With everything lined up I ll tighten the clamps for the fence profiles under the MFT ...

Page 69: ... mark on the zero point of the fence s scale Now to set the distance of the square from the guide rail I use the scale on the fence profile Slide the square to the distance needed and clamp it Now you can cut or rout the work piece The insert in the picture shows the square is set to 290 mm ...

Page 70: ...rate there are those same three words again I ve not fully explored cutting applications for the MFS Most of my time with this system has focused on routing I m sure to find more uses for MFS to cut and rout as time goes by As it stands now I m fairly happy using the techniques shown here ...

Page 71: ...he MFS profiles offer a lot of options for different configurations I use one shown here most often for clamping face frames Once the profiles are clamped to the MFT they provide a sturdy squaring fixture Clamps can be added almost any place needed to square the frame ...

Page 72: ...00 and 700 sets were used in the configuration shown above A much simpler version for smaller projects can be made from the MFS 400 set The profiles are clamped against the MFT fence making a perfect right angle clamping jig as seen in this picture ...

Page 73: ... used my profiles as cauls With clamps from below the MFT the profiles can be clamped pressing the stock down onto the bars of the parallel clamps giving me flat glue ups The profiles can be quickly put together to make a custom clamping jig and when the glue dries take them apart for the next project ...

Page 74: ...ects I use the MFS not just as a routing template or as cutting and clamping aids but to make any task easier faster It s a problem solver I ve used the MFS to index my Domino to cut mortises in the middle of panels I set the angle stops to square the profiles to the edge of the work piece so the zero point is right on the edge This will let me use the scale on the profiles to index the Domino ...

Page 75: ...FS profile I can cut all of the mortises in a perfectly straight line at a right angle to edge of the work piece Using the center line on the Domino s base and the scale on the MFS the mortises can be cut quickly and accurately I would normally use the backside of the guide rail on the MFT for this but when I m on a jobsite without my MFT this really comes in handy ...

Page 76: ...self No problem install a guide rail connector to join an MFS profile to the rail and clamp the profile to the edge of the stock Now drill your holes Stock eight feet long posed an even bigger challenge Using the same technique and the circle cutting pivots to re index the rail you can drill holes in a full sheet of plywood ...

Page 77: ... of the profiles to index the jig Second photo I m holding the jig and making the first cut Third I ve flipped over and turned the jig 90 degrees to make the second cut Fourth the finished toe kick I can make the cuts in less time it would have taken to do the layout It s easy fast and you guessed it accurate Again the MFS flexibility is shown here Finding different uses both within the Festool sy...

Page 78: ...r the next piece of hardware I ve tried other adjustable routing jigs some I ve liked and some I wouldn t even use again to scrape chewing gum off the sidewalk But for the most part they were not the right tool for the job Now I only keep the MFS on the truck It s so easy to use I can hand the job off to one of my guys so I can turn my attention elsewhere Being able to get in and out of a job quic...

Page 79: ...n value It may be unseen at first but the solution to a problem or a new easier faster and more accurate way to do the everyday jobs we do for a living or for pure enjoyment Good luck and I hope you enjoy using the MFS system as much as I do Brice Burrell Visit my website for more Festool tips and reviews Burrell Custom Carpentry I d like to thank a few people first goes to Mr Jerry Work his manua...

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